The good news is a next generation True Single Sign-On™ solution has emerged that can provide SSO access to virtually any IT resource. This solution is called JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service®. However, before we describe the benefits of SSO with JumpCloud, let’s first outline the characteristics of traditional SSO solutions to reveal why True SSO alternatives are superior.

Traditional SSO Solutions

The concept of Single Sign-On describes the ability for users to leverage one core set of credentials to gain access to their IT resources. Traditionally, SSO solutions have been layered on top of legacy IdPs like Microsoft® Active Directory® (AD). Their purpose is to extend on-prem identities to the cloud and beyond. In doing so, users could leverage their core user identity to gain access to a wider range of IT resources compared to AD alone.

SSO solutions were first introduced in the mid-2000s as a response to web applications like Salesforce®, productivity platforms like G Suite™ (formerly Google Apps), and Box, for example. Active Directory was designed for on-prem IT networks and Windows® system environments, but it wasn’t built to directly manage these new types of solutions. The result was an entire generation of SSO solutions designed primarily to extend AD identities to unsupported IT resources.

Layering add-ons on top of the on-prem IdP has been effective over the years. In fact, the SSO approach remains one of the primary approaches to management for modern IT networks. The trouble is that a growing number and variety of add-ons are required as IT resources continue to shift to the cloud and move away from a Microsoft foundation.

Vince Lujan

Vince is a documentation and blog writer at JumpCloud, the world’s first cloud-based directory service. Vince recently graduated with a degree in professional and technical writing from the University of New Mexico, and enjoys researching new innovations in cloud architecture and infrastructure.

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